Knowing Poe
The Literature, Life, and Times of Edgar Allan Poe... In Baltimore and Beyond

What makes a good writer great? Practice, patience, persistence, and a bit of luck all contribute to a writer's skill.

But great writers stand apart from all others. Their work is marked by an indefinable something. James Dickey refers to it as the ability to listen to the celestial wireless. Others call it talent or creative genius or simply the "X" factor. Whatever it is, great writers have it.

Edgar Allan Poe is one of these special people.

Through the activities on this site, you can introduce learners (or, be introduced, yourself) to the literature, life, and times of one of America's foremost writers. Here, you will:

explore his worlds — both fictional and real — from a number of perspectives

examine the complex choices writers such as Poe make as they create their works

investigate the "hard facts" about life and death in Baltimore and the United States during Poe's lifetime

learn about the continuing impact of Poe's legacy

The rich classroom resources on this site have been created especially for Maryland students in middle and high school.

In addition to these interactive experiences, there are lesson plans created by Maryland teachers, primary source documents, links for further research, and materials for fun family activities related to Edgar Allan Poe.

Throughout the site, watch for the Random Raven to give you some inside information and little known facts about Poe the person and Poe the writer.